A 54-minute work by Egyptian composer Hisham Nazih, commissioned especially for the occasion, ushered the mummies to where they will reside for the foreseeable future. The 100-member-strong ensemble, accompanied by a choir of 80 singers and three prominent soloists, shared the stage at the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization in the Fustat district of Old Cairo. A full orchestra - a philharmonic orchestra no less - was the unexpected star of the night. Unlike most parades, however, the 18 kings and four queens of ancient Egypt were neither surrounded nor followed by instrumentalists. The regal floats were accompanied by drumbeats and live music. They were moved out of the Egyptian Museum in Tahrir Square with unprecedented fanfare and dense layers of social and political symbolism. It was getting the ultimate makeover, in preparation for an unprecedented set of visitors - 22 of Egypt’s most celebrated mummies. Only five weeks ago, central Cairo’s Tahrir area was a virtual construction site. Still, they hardly go unnoticed, especially when they instigate beautification efforts to routes the important visitors might traverse. In the Middle East, where security is typically a high priority, such occurrences are rarely announced in advance. Few city dwellers would not remember at least one instance in which they had to wait for a presidential, royal or other dignitary motorcade to pass before normal traffic resumed.
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January 2023
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